Free Lactose-free Cookbook Download & Coupons

My husband is lactose-intolerant and I always have trouble finding decent recipes. Here's a free download for a Lactose-free cookbook.

And here are some awesome coupons for Lactaid products. It does require you to register, but it 100% free!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Buy 10, Get 10 Wings Free at Hooters (11am-noon)

The early bird gets the worm! Visit Hooters Monday - Saturday between 11am and noon, and partake in their Buy 10 Get 10 free deal.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Subscription to the Red Bulletin

Grab yourself a free subscription to The Red Bulletin.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Black Friday Preview for Best Buy

Best Buy has unveiled a Black Friday preview online. Start planning your Black Friday shopping trips!

I like to figure out what I'm buying and where I'm buying it so I can cash in on gift cards using my credit card points!

And... if you use the ibotta app, you can get $5 back when you spend $100+ at Best Buy (in store or online) on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. And, you'll be able to unlock an additional rebate for $10 to be used when you spend $10+ on your next trip. The special unlocked offer only lasts until 12/6/14.

(The ibotta app is a 100% free app for your Smartphone. Get rebates on items you were already planning to purchase!)

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thanks to All Who Served 11-11

From the very bottom of my heart, thank you to every individual who has served to help protect our country and our freedoms. Your courage, bravery, perseverance, dedication and heart are unparalleled.

Be sure to check out all of the free and near-free goodies available to you on this day honoring all military - active and veteraned. Make sure to check the time stamp to see if it's a 2014 versus 2013/earlier offer.



Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Entree at Hooters for Military

Free entree, up to $10.99, for vets and active military on 11/11 at Hooters. Drink purchase required.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Longhorn Texas Tonion and Drink for Military

In celebration of Veteran's Day, Longhorn is offering a free Texas Tonion and a non-alcoholic beverage to all active military and veterans. You must show a military ID. Valid on 11/11 only.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Signature Entree for Military at Applebee's

Applebee's is honoring our military, active and retired, by offering a free Signature Entree from a special Veterans Day menu.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Julep Beauty Box (Pay only Shipping)

Get a Fall Fashion Neutrals Beauty Box for only the cost of shipping from Julep. Pay only $2.99 using the promo code FREEFALL at checkout. This will enroll you in a monthly subscription ($24.99/month plus shipping) but you can cancel at any time, including immediately after receiving your free box.



Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Food and 15% Off for Military at Outback Steakhouse

Military, active and retired, head on over to Outback Steakhouse on Tues. November 11 for a free bloomin' onion and a free coca cola fountain beverage.

And... you'll also receive 15% off your purchase for the rest of 2014!

*The FREE Bloomin' Onion® and Coca-Cola® promotion is open to Military Personnel who have one of the following forms of identification on November 11, 2014 : (a) U.S. Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card, (b) U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification and Privilege Card, (c) Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), (d) Veterans Organization Card (i.e., American Legion and VFW), (e) DD214 Certificate, (f) Veteran Identification Card (VIC) or (g) Photograph in U.S. Uniform or wearing U.S. Uniform. The FREE beverage will be customer's choice of any offered Coca-Cola® product. Prices and product participation may vary by location. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer, discount or coupon. No cash value. Void where prohibited.

**The Military Mates® 15% OFF discount is open to Military Personnel who have one of the following forms of identification: (a) U.S. Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card, (b) U.S. Uniformed Services Retired Identification and Privilege Card, (c) Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), (d) Veterans Organization Card (i.e., American Legion and VFW), (e) DD214 Certificate, (f) Veteran Identification Card (VIC) or (g) Photograph in U.S. Uniform or wearing U.S. Uniform. Military Personnel with any of the foregoing forms of identification will receive 15% OFF their entire guest check (excluding alcohol, applicable taxes and gratuity)November 12 through December 31, 2014 at any Outback Steakhouse® in the U.S. Prices and product participation may vary by location. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer, discount or coupon. No cash value. Void where prohibited.


Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

25% Off At Job Lot for Active & Retired Military

Ocean State Job Lot's Operation: Thank You is in full gear.

All Active Duty Military and Retired Personnel, Veterans, National Guard, Reservists and their families get 25% OFF* everything in their stores. This is their way of saying "thank you" for all that they have done, and are doing for our country.

For more details see their website http://oceanstatejoblot.com/military.html

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

50% Off Sale at Savers Tues. Nov. 11

Enjoy Savings Throughout the Store!

50% off Clothing, Bed & Bath, Shoes and Accessories*

Tuesday, November 11th

Remember to ask for Winter Savings Pass!

*Excludes AZ, MN and ID stores. Excludes jewelry, furniture, books, housewares and red tag items. Not valid with any other coupons or discount.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

MyCokeRewards: 12-pk Sparkling Coupon Only 30 Points!

This great coupon is typically 250 points at MyCokeRewards. But today it's 88% off and only 30 points! One per account and while supplies last, so hurry!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

My Weight Loss Journey - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Have you fallen victim to those high-cost fad diets? You know what I'm talking about - the diet pills, the shakes, the flavor shots and teas before each meal? They cost an arm and a leg, and although they typically work in the short term, it's tough to stop using them because you fall back into old habits and pack on the pounds quicker than you lost them.

I know this because I've done it too. I lost 11 pounds using Herbalife back in 2011, right before my wedding. And as soon as I weaned myself off the twice a day shakes, then off the once a day shakes (seriously, who has money to pay for shake mix for the rest of their lives?), I gained all the weight back and then some.

And when my tiny, 4'11" frame teetered towards the 150 lb mark this year, I realized that I had simply let myself go. My self-esteem had gone in the crapper and my image reflected that. I trudged to work wearing whatever I could find that would fit over, or under, my muffin top that morning regardless of how sloppy and unkempt I looked. And many weekends, I'd stay in my elastic-waisted pajamas for as long as I possibly could.

I knew that diet pills, bars and shakes weren't going to be a permanent solution and my doctor cleared me of any and all medical reasons I could use as excuses to justify my hefty size. So I finally listened to my husband and sought the professional help of a nutritionist.

(If you don't think a nutritionist is for you, that's cool! Skip to the end where I impart some free and near-free tips for weight loss that I've picked up along the way).

Nutritionists are EXPENSIVE! At the time I didn't think my insurance would cover visits, so I paid out of pocket. My first visit was $85 for a 45 minute to an hour long session to discuss my habits - eating, exercising, vices, etc. Follow up visits were $150 for a package of 5 30-minute sessions where we discussed the previous weeks successes (or lack of) and concocted plans for upcoming weeks.

Downsides of Professional Nutritionists:
-EXPENSIVE!!
-If you ignore advice, the visits are useless
-If you are not committed, the visits are useless

Advantages of Professional Nutritionists:
-You can limit the expenses; stretch your visits out as far as you'd like to minimize costs
-In my opinion, the expert advice and information is well worth the cost
-It holds you accountable; nothing is worse than feeling like you let someone down
-Visits MIGHT be covered by your insurance! A good nutrition center will verify with your insurance company


I've been visiting my nutritionist since May. It was slow going in the beginning and I had a HUGE set back when my 17-year old kitty passed away in July. But since July I've officially lost over 15 lbs!

I weighed over 146 lbs at my first weigh-in in May.
I weighed 130.8 lbs at my most recent weigh-in last week.
I weighed 128.8 lbs the other day on my own scale wearing my birthday suit.

Inexpensive Tips for Weight Loss
1. Keeping a food and exercise log has helped me realize how much (or how little) I was putting in my body. Believe it or not, eating too little is just as bad as eating too much. I started with a paper-based food diary but I would leave it at home or forget to log each night. So my nutritionist suggested MyFitnessPal app for my Smartphone. This is a FREE app that can be customized to your height, weight, exercise level and overall weight-loss goal.

2. Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Something is better than nothing. I bought the cheapest recumbent bike I could find from Walmart.com and I watch TV at night while logging miles. In good weather, I also go for walks and runs with my husband or by myself. I have a horrible habit of wandering grocery store aisles for hours to avoid housework, so I log a lot of miles doing that too!
The FREE app MapMyRun for the Smartphone can keep track of your activity. I run with my cell phone in my hand and set up the tracker on MapMyRun to log my miles and calories burned. If you also use MyFitnessPal, the MapMyRun app will automatically transfer activity logged into the MyFitnessPal app and deduct the calories burned from the calories used for the day.

3. Find someone to hold you accountable. Sadly, I discovered that my husband cannot be trusted to hold me accountable. He is a natural skinny-minnie and is easily demotivated so if we make plans ahead of time to run after work, he frequently changes his mind which gives me an "out" for my day's physical activity. HOWEVER... Social media has become a quick source for accountability. There are many Facebook pages for people looking to lose weight together. And I've received so much support from my Instagram followers. It's so awesome to post a quick photo of my weekly weigh in and get a ton of positive comments from complete strangers. It helps maintain my motivation and it boosts my self-esteem.

4. Give yourself a tangible goal. I signed myself up for a few running races. I paid money to register, so it made me less likely to give up. Some races have really high fees, while others are only $10-20. By registering yourself for an event and paying out the cash for it upfront, you can trick yourself into having no choice but to work hard to be successful in that particular event. I ended up finding that I enjoyed running and continued running even after my event was over. I started running 12-minute miles. I can now sustain 9 minute miles!

5. Find what works for you! Avoidance of temptations is the only thing that works for me. If there are cupcakes in the lunchroom at the office, I'll avoid that room all day. I pack a lunch every day for work to avoid ordering out. My husband and I avoid restaurants that have nothing on the menu I can modify and eat -- bye bye Hooters!


My weight loss journey in photos. I've still got another 15 or so pounds to go, but I'm well on my way!

Disclaimer: Before starting any exercise or diet routine, I strongly encourage you to discuss it with your physician.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Squeeze A Boob, Save a Life - Why I Feel My Tatas on the Regular

I'm 28 years old. And like most twenty-somethings, I had this nonsensical idea that I was medically invincible. That I was too young to ever fall victim to any of  those crazy ailments and diseases that have earned themselves Facebook campaigns, or above the fold articles on the front page of a newspaper or even an entire month dedicated to its awareness.

Don't get me wrong, I don't avoid medical interventions. In fact, like I was supposed to, I went through the motions: I paid my copays and saw my doctors regularly. I begrudging peed into that teeny, tiny little cup. I mean, c'mon -- how the heck does anyone manage to aim perfectly into that thing?! I unwillingly had my blood drawn what feels like a million times each year. I got my goods groped, fondled, poked and prodded on the regular. Just like I was supposed to. But through all of these rote, mundane appointments, it never crossed my mind that my doctors would find anything.

And they didn't.

But my husband did. A little more than a year ago, at the peak of my 20-something invincibility, my husband jokingly grabbed me one day and then did a double take. With a concerned look, he stuttered, "come here for a minute, let me see something, Cynthia." What should have been a sexy interaction between a married couple quickly turned into a nightmarish prodding and googling session.

Ya, don't ever google your symptoms. Ever. Just trust me.

My husband had found a lump in my left breast. And not a small one that we could pretend like we were simply overreacting over. A seemingly huge, unmistakable mass in my breast. And I'm sure it didn't pop up overnight. But until that point, I was the medical Superwoman of the millennium.

To make a long story short, after several agonizing days, a trip to my gynecologist and a trip for an ultrasound, from which I didn't excitedly leave with a "It's a Boy" or "It's a Girl" photo, I learned that I was cancer free.

But I did learn a few things. I learned that I had two fairly large cysts, one 2.5mm and another over 3mm sitting side by side - no wonder one boob had been so much bigger looking than the other! I learned that doctors don't catch everything at the once or twice a year appointments you make with them. Most importantly, I learned how critical it is to pay attention to your own body - be your own advocate.

Since that incident, my girls and I have become best of friends. Every time I shower, I check for changes in my cysts and any new growths. Just last month, I discovered a new lump in my other breast. Which, despite my history with cysts, caused me to freak out. Luckily, this new lump turned out to be another cyst. And it has lots of tiny friends, too. These cysts are completely benign and are not known to turn into anything aggressive.

I can't stress to you the importance of knowing your body. And realizing you are NOT invincible. Make sure you perform a breast self-exam at least monthly. And make sure you speak up if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Don't wait to "see if it goes away." Get it checked.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. I'm fortunate enough to have no family history of breast cancer. But my husband's grandmother was a breast cancer survivor and I have friends and colleagues who have family members who have been affected by breast cancer. Help spread the word and bring awareness to early detection. When breast cancer is detected early, the 5-year survival rate is 98%!

Make sure you squeeze a boob - it could save a life.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Subscription to Boating Magazine

100% free subscription to Boating magazine.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Free Subscription to Saltwater Sportsman

Get a free subscription to Saltwater Sportsman magazine!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts